Sue Thomas's Blog, page 2

Evolving Digital Self Podcast: Dr. Sue Thomas, Digital Wellbeing

I love it when people contact me and begin a conversation. Sometimes the discussion goes on quietly behind the scenes for days, months or even years.  At other times it results in an article or interview. This podcast is one example.

It started with an email from Dr. Heidi Forbes Öste inviting me to be a guest on her podcast series Evolving Digital Self.  The result was a fascinating conversation where we discovered we shared many similar ideas about the challenges and opportunities of digita...

RIP John Perry Barlow. The rancher who made cyberspace his territory.

John Perry Barlow has died, age 70. When I was writing Technobiophilia I often referred to his  ‘Declaration of the Independence of Cyberspace’, written in 1996.  Mentions of his contribution to the development of the idea of ‘cyberspace’ are scattered throughout the book, but here’s an excerpt about the way it became a foundational narrative not just for the internet, but for the United States. It’s followed by the 1996 Declaration in its entirety.

Have we created ‘a civilization of the Mind...

Come to the first Digital Wellbeing Retreat- “NOT a Digital Detox: How to feel better without logging off”

Happy New Year!

Now that the celebrations are over and you’re making plans for the year ahead, I’d like to invite you to join me at a weekend retreat by the sea this coming May. I’m really pleased to have been invited to design and run “NOT a Digital Detox: How to feel better without logging off”,  a chance to reflect on our online lives and our place in nature. It takes place at the wonderful Othona Community in West Dorset, UK over the weekend of Fri 11 May – Sun 13 May 2018.  £140 for two...

Find Time To Meditate This Holiday. Tip 7/7 Series 2

Do you meditate? If you’ve often thought about it but never made a start, or it’s something you used to do but now neglect, the winter holidays might be the right time to begin (again).

Those lovely dark afternoons when you’ve already taken a chilly walk and you’re ready to settle by the fire provide the ideal opportunity to spend some time chilling out on your own if you can. If you’d like a little help to begin, I recommend using an app like Insight Timer, which offers all kinds of experien...

Biophilic gifts need cost only love and time. Tip 6/7 Series 2

You’ve probably heard the saying that chopping wood for the fire warms you twice – first by the exertion of the work, then again by the heat of its burning.

This idea for seasonal gifts makes you happy twice – first with the enjoyment of making, then again with the pleasure of giving.

Home-made presents gathered from nature need cost you only love and time.  Beautiful stones collected in the countryside or on the beach can be polished and varnished to a shine or, if you are artistically incli...

Hydroponics – the perfect winter gift for geeky gardeners. TIP 5/7 Series 2

It’s too late\early in the year to be planting much outside, but if you know any geeky gardeners you might want to get them a hydroponics kit for Christmas. No mud but lots of horticultural thrills.

Hydroponics is a method of growing plants using mineral nutrient solutions, in water, without soil, or sometimes in an inert medium like perlite or gravel. It offers plenty of opportunities for messing around with intriguing components and, hopefully, producing something edible or beautiful, or bo...

Create nature views with pictures, screens and plants. Tip 4/7 Series 2

If you have no windows in your room or workspace, try creating faux nature views with pictures, screens and plants. There’s evidence that these kinds of images can reduce stress.

You might think about this when choosing gifts for people who could use some biophilic downtime but have poor views from their windows or find it hard to get outdoors.  Perhaps they’d appreciate a painting or a photograph – maybe even a framed photo you’ve taken yourself or one of your own paintings or drawings. Or y...

Use stone for interior biophilic design TIP 3/7 Series 2

Big corporations are investing huge amounts in biophilic workplaces featuring natural materials like plants, stones, wood, and water. Look out for walls festooned with hanging planters, indoor waterfalls, and stony zen gardens. Companies aren’t doing this because it’s cosy, but because there’s increasing evidence that biophilic workplaces make employees happier and therefore more productive.

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Take a leaf from their book, and think about how you could do the same in your own home or office.  Y...

Add wood to your digital life and de-stress TIP 2/7 Series 2

Why is there so much plastic and metal in digital culture? What about wood and other natural fabrics? Why so many straight lines? Why not curves and circles?

Computer kit made from wood can connect our digital lives to the natural world and help us feel and perform better. Just as architects design houses with turf roofs, and interior designers create water features and green walls inside buildings, we should be applying the principles of technobiophilia to the hardware and software we make.

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TIP 2/7: Add wood to your digital life and de-stress

Why is there so much plastic and metal in digital culture? What about wood and other natural fabrics? Why so many straight lines? Why not curves and circles?

Computer kit made from wood can connect our digital lives to the natural world and help us feel and perform better. Just as architects design houses with turf roofs, and interior designers create water features and green walls inside buildings, we should be applying the principles of technobiophilia to the hardware and software we make.

...